


Perspective makes a person

by acepylot



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gay Keith (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Keith/Lance (Voltron), Texting, They are going to the garrison, Trans Female Pidge | Katie Holt, tags update with chapters!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-04 22:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14029989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acepylot/pseuds/acepylot
Summary: Is there a better way of getting over your last relationship than by texting some random number you just spotted in an old coffee shop, carved into a moldy table? Probably.Lance might be convinced, though.ORLance is somewhat still heartbroken because Nyma and him broke up so Pidge has the brilliant idea to text a total stranger. Hunk is worried, Lance is curious and chaos ensues. Starring: The garrison trio, a confused Keith, a very angry Iverson and others.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> So this is my very first chaptered fic I have ever written, I'm really nervous but I have a lot of fun writing it, so I figured: Why not share it?  
> Some warning though... English is not my native language and since this is one of my first fics, I haven't had that much practice yet. I don't have a beta reader either, so if there are any errors in grammar etc. I would appreciate it a LOT if you could tell me! Seriously, I'd be so thankful! 
> 
> I will add more tags as the story goes on btw. (Disclaimer: This fic will deal with Lance finding out he's bisexual and it will be based on a lot of personal experience!) 
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> ~acepylot. [ Tumblr ](https://lanceinblack.tumblr.com/) & [ Writing Tumblr ](https://acepylot.tumblr.com/)

“No listen Hunk, I’m telling you the new pineapple coffee is against the law.” Lance, Hunk and Pidge decided to visit the coffee shop not far from the garrison today. Which, in itself, isn’t a new thing considering they spend most of their free time there, escaping Iverson’s terrible scolding and the bad coffee they offer at the cafeteria.  What _is_ new though, is the big ad in front of the shop, advertising their new creation “Why have pineapple pizza if you can drink pineapple coffee instead. Only here!” Lance stared at it for about 5 minutes before he made an effort to grab both of his friends and get far, _far_ away from this place. Grinning to themselves, Hunk and Pidge immediately grabbed him instead, dragging him into the old, yet familiar facility.

“Nah, Lance. I’m still making you drink it”, Hunk replies, before turning to a waiter to make their order. “The pineapple one. Three times”, he says, the amused grin never leaving his face.

Next to him, Pidge giggles. Across him, Lance groans, shoving his head into his hands.

“Why are you guys making me suffer?” Lance glares at his two best friends through his fingers. Maybe the time has come where he should reconsider this friendship, pineapple flavor has the power to break them apart. It’s not like Lance hates pineapple or anything. He just doesn’t like it combined with weird things.

_Like pizza._

Their order is being put onto their table and all of them take their drinks, looking down on them as if it’s the most alien thing they have ever seen.  

_Or coffee._

“It smells fine”, Pidge comments after taking a deep sniff. She grimaces a little bit, scrunches her nose and then chugs the whole thing at once.  

“Noooo!” Lance whines loudly, putting the attention of several people on them. “We lost her! She’s gonna die!”

His small friend raises an eyebrow, putting the now empty cup down again. “It takes more than a disgusting drink to kill me, Lance.”

“Nope, you’re dead. It’s a tragedy. I’m getting all of your games and gaming devices.” He puts his arms behind his head, crossing his unbelievably long legs. “Also, you just confirmed it’s nasty. Not that I didn’t know that already.”

“Yeah, it’s so nasty I’m almost convinced you’re gonna like it.” Pidge smirks playfully.

“Is that an insult?!” Lance pouts right into her face, full on leaning over the table while crossing his arms.

“Stop being dramatic and drink the pineapple disaster, Lance”, his traitorous best friend laughs.  He and Pidge are probably teaming up against him, Lance figures.

“You’re not even hiding that it’s bad!” He whines even louder, his back meeting the soft cushion of his seat with a damped sound.

Pidge and Hunk start to laugh, even louder than Lance’s whines have been earlier. While his friends giggle like crazy, he tries his best at holding his pout, though he fails not even a second later and joins their laughter.

That is, until Hunk loudly clears his throat.

“No but seriously.” Suddenly, the mood changes completely. The earlier teasing Hunk gone in no time, now wearing a soft smile, accompanied by worry. Lance doesn’t like it.

“What?” He asks, trying to keep the never ending pout out of his voice.

“Damn, like. Are you ok?” Pidge asks straightforward, because that’s how she always plays. Coming to the point immediately. Lance appreciates it at times.

“What do you mean?” Lance raises a questioning eyebrow. If you’d ask him like that, then yeah, he is ok. He is fine.

“You know…” Hunk starts, visibly thinking about how he should bring it up as gentle as possible. Lance is officially confused. “Because of Nyma. We know it has been two weeks now but… you’ve always seemed to be like, you know, head over heels for her? Thinking she was the right one? Wanting to marry her? Introducing her to your family, while gushing about-“

“ _Ok_ , Hunk”, Lance interrupts. Well _that_ certainly wasn’t gentle.

Pidge rolls her eyes. “Look, what he means is… how are you doing? Are you, you know, hurting or whatever?” Lance snorts a little bit, letting out a small breath through his nose. Pidge has always been a little awkward with feelings, especially when it comes to romantic ones. It is cute, honestly and she is always coming from a genuine place.  

When Lance thinks about the question though, he frowns. _How_ exactly is he feeling about that? He is fine, it’s not a lie. But when you ask him like _that_ , he does feel an uncomfortable ache in his heart. Because, if he is being honest to himself, he isn’t completely over it. Because, and he even told everyone, he was very certain that she was the one. Lance always tends to think people are the one. Whenever he thinks back now, he’s pretty embarrassed by it.

He sighs.

His hopeless romantic heart cracked a little, he guesses.

“I’m gonna live”, he mumbles into his cup, not even noticing that he put it on his lips. Without thinking further, he just takes a few sips.

“Of course you are, dumbass”, Pidge comments, slightly kicking him under the table, immediately earning herself a friendly glare.

“I’m gonna live”, he repeats, putting down his barely warm coffee. “Or- not, ‘cause that was disgusting as hell.” He makes a gagging noise, shaking his head in disgust, looking like a wet dog trying to get dry.

“It was pretty expensive, too. Hunk could easily do better.” Finally something Lance could agree on with her, nodding in agreement.

“Yep!”

His friend rubs his neck shyly, though he probably knows it’s very true.

“But seriously, guys. I can get a new girlfriend whenever I want anyways. I mean… have you seen me?”

“Nyma has and look how that turned out”, Pidge teases. Lance cringes a little bit, not really ready for this kind of jokes but he immediately recognizes the horror in her eyes and decides to let it slide.

Or not.

“I will bring this up every time you’re doing injustice to me, thanks Pidge!” Lance even grins as Pidge visibly scolds herself for giving him access to such power.

“Ugh, I’m sorry”, she still apologizes and Lance’s heart fills with warmth. He honest to god loves his friends like nothing else, even their insensitive asses. And he knows they love him as well.

“Nope, too late”, he shrugs, shaking his head.

Pidge grumbles unsatisfied, crossing her arms. She knows it is too late for damage control and that she’d have to deal with Lance whining about it every time from now on.

Lance already thinks about all the opportunities. Getting to be player one instead of player two, making her lend him games, all that cool stuff.

While he is in thought, her eyes suddenly go big, a grin stretching all over her face. She leans towards him, her finger pointing at something on the table. Except, there is nothing.

“What?” He asks, not trusting her weird behavior. She rolls her eyes, now tapping her finger on the literal nothing.

Lance wears a questioning face but he still leans forward to have a look at whatever she is pointing at. His eyes roam at the spot, before he finally spots some numbers carved into the wood.

“Looks like a phone number”, Hunk notices, the three of them now having their heads stuck together almost in the middle of the table.

“And?” Lance asks and sighs dramatically, leaning back again. He expected something way more interesting.

“How about you text them?” Pidge suggests.  “Let’s see if you’re really worth of being called _loverboy_ Lance.”

“Am I really being called like that?!” Lance suddenly jumps excitedly in his seat, his eyes shining.

Pidge and Hunk sigh in unison, though they never stop smiling.

“He can have that illusion, I guess”, Pidge shrugs, turning to Hunk who nods at her.

“I’m literally right here”, Lance deadpans with a raised eyebrow, all excitement suddenly gone.

“So what? Are you going to do it?”

“Text a random number that’s carved into this moldy table?”

“Duh”

Lance considers, his hand on his chin.

“Hell, yeah, put it into my phone!” Well, seems like he’s doing this. It’s not like he has anything to lose anyway.

“First, it’s not even moldy”, Hunk interrupts, taking Lance’s phone in his hands before it could be handed off to Pidge. “Secondly, do you know what you’re doing? This could be a serial killer or a 40 year old man who wrote his number on here for teenagers to fall for it, or-“

“Hunk, I know you have a very good sense for danger but dude, I can just block them if they seem suspicious.”

“I’m with Lance on this one. Also, it could be interesting.” Pidge grins, way less concerned about possible consequences than Hunk.

“It could be dangerous” he repeats, his voice a little stronger now.

“Hunk, my guy. My man. My everyth-“

“Get to the point, Lance”, Pidge urges.

He rolls his eyes, placing a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “I swear I will have this under control. If the person seems somehow suspicious, I will immediately drop this, ok?”

“…Fine”, Hunk agrees, though he visibly still isn’t sure about this. Lance feels like he is trusted and he smiles.

“Nooow”, he quickly snatches the phone out of Hunk’s big hands, now successfully handing it over to Pidge. “Get the number in, Pidgeon.”

 

\------------------------------

Just some hours later, lying in his bed, Lance definitely feels a little bit sick in his stomach. Hunk has told him about five times already that he’s imagining things because his own is perfectly fine. Lance is almost 100% sure Hunk probably just nipped on his coffee while he himself took several sips and Pidge is probably dead by now.

After some gossiping about the garrison and mainly Iverson, they decided to go back to their dorms for today which meant Lance and Hunk would get separated from Pidge, since they are roommates and Pidge has one for herself. Therefore she’s got some time for herself that a lot of other students crave. Not that Lance complains. He’s glad about his shared room with Hunk. Speaking of which, Lance turns around in his bed to eye his roommate. He squints and sees Hunk being asleep like an adorable little baby. He turns around again, trying to not wake him up with the jostling of his sheets.

When he takes his phone in one hand, the bright light hitting his face almost burns his eyes on spot.

“Shit…” he curses quietly before dimming the brightness on his phone.

There are little vibrating sounds as he clicks through his contacts and he hopes they aren’t as loud as he thinks. He scrolls through several people.

_Alec, Carla, Hunky Hunk, Josephine, Luis, Marco…_

His eyes widen at the next contact entry.

_Moldy table_

He snorts, immediately putting a hand on his mouth to stifle the sounds.

“Really Pidge?” He asks himself as quiet as possible, trying to fight his amused grin.

His smile falls just seconds after though, as his eyes catch on the next name that’s saved into his phone.

_Nyma_

He gulps, opening their chat. Unlike a lot of other teenagers, they broke up in person. It was a mess and it hurt a lot but Lance is glad they didn’t do it the childish way through text. On the other hand, the first thing he sees are cheesy texts they sent each other before they got into this huge fight that cost their still fresh relationship.

He sighs, sliding a thumb over the chat, then holding onto it.

_Delete chat?_

He bites his bottom lip, his thumb hovering over the “yes” option. He curses himself as his thumb starts shaking, almost touching the display on accident. Another loud sigh escapes him and he officially feels bad for Hunk as his thumb is placed on “no.”

“Not yet”, he tries to sooth himself. He goes back to his contacts, now opening the still blank chat with the stranger. Pidge saved the number into his phone but after that they just changed the topic and Lance hasn’t thought about it again. He did say he’d be down for it, it’s not the most dangerous thing ever. In fact, Lance isn’t scared or anything. He still hesitates. Mainly because there’s a very high possibility that this person lives somewhere near the garrison. Or even goes to the garrison. Maybe knows Lance. Maybe knows Nyma. Maybe it’s one of Nyma’s friends. It could be anyone.

Anyone could also be someone nice though, so he opens the digital keyboard and starts typing, smiling as he does.

He doesn’t even have to think for long before he knows how to start this conversation.  

Lance: You are a winner!  Congratulations YOU have won! What, you are asking? Well, fellow stranger, you got the number of an awesome guy! Who, you’re asking? Reply within 5 hours and find out! ;)

That should do, he decides, smiling to himself before putting his phone down again. Slowly, he closes his eyes, about to finally drift into sleep. That is, until he opens them one more time, eyeing his phone.

He takes it into his hand again, checking for any messages. There are none.

He shakes his head and turns in his bed.

“It’s twelve am, what am I expecting”, he mumbles before the sweet release of sleep finally gets to him.

 

 

\------------------------------

 

“SEEN?!” It’s the first noise in the morning that can be heard in Hunk and Lance’s small shared room.

“Lance, it’s six am, what are you so-“

“SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN?!” He repeats, turning to Hunk with a desperate, shocked face and his best friend officially wishes to be deaf for just one moment. Lance is practically shoving his phone into Hunk’s soft face.  

“Lance, I can’t see like that.” Hunk chuckles and gently pushes Lance’s phone some inches away from him. His eyes need some seconds before they successfully focus on the text he’s being presented. Squinting his eyes, he reads Lance’s dorky message and gives an amused small laugh after that. “You gave them five hours?”

“It’s been six!”

“Jesus, Lance. Normally people sleep more than five hours.” At Lance’s sour face, he adds, “or six.”

“No, yeah. It clearly says she has already read it, it says seen, Hunk, SEEN!” The top engineer sighs as his face is met with cold display again.

“Maybe they gave it a look and went to sleep again?”

“Maybe.”

Lance lets himself fall on Hunk’s bed, making them sit side by side. It’s silent for a moment.

“… So you’re going to send another message?”

“… Yeah”, Lance replies with a pout, angrily typing on his phone.

 

\------------------------------

 

Even in class Lance can’t stop secretly staring at his phone display, desperately waiting for an answer. After realizing the stranger had actually already read his message without even bothering to react to it, Lance just sent another one.

Lance **:** Ok, I see how it is! Well, since I’m a _nice_ person I’ll extent your time by 5 more hours!

It isn’t like Lance is salty or anything. He also doesn’t feel like his ego is being attacked because this person flat out ignores him even though he did his best to start the conversation in a funny way. But he is NOT giving up that easily. They could at least have the decency to block him or tell him to leave them alone. Though Lance still kind of holds onto the hope that they just didn’t have the time to answer properly yet.

Suddenly, his phone vibrates in his hand, making the lanky boy jump in his seat. His eyes lock with Iversion’s immediately as he gives his best innocent grin he can manage before he secretly glances down at the text he received.

 **Pidgeon:** Stop checking your phone, dumbass. Iversion’s going to kick you out.

Lance huffs, hiding his disappointment that it wasn’t the name “Moldy table” that showed up on his screen.

Lance **:** So be it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

He shoots his friend a quick smirk, getting a roll of her eyes in response. Suddenly, his smirk is being thrown off his face the moment his phone gives another vibrating sound. This time, Lance almost lets it slip out of his hands. On the other side of the room, Pidge facepalms herself while Lance panics that Iversion’s really going to kick him out now. To his unusual luck, the instructor didn’t notice. He breathes out a sigh of relief, about to turn off the vibration of his phone as his eyes go wide when he sees the message on his lockscreen.

 **Moldy table:** _Who are you?_

His unoccupied hand finds its way to his mouth to cover up his creepy grin he’s giving himself while being in class.

Lance **:** OHHH you’re alive, great news!

 **Moldy table:** _Who is this and how did you get my number._

 _Wow_ , Lance figures, _this person’s kinda cold._ _Though_ , he thinks, _it’s probably a normal reaction considering they just got a random text from a random number._

Lance **:** Wow, grumpy much. Buuuuut if you tell me your name I miiight consider telling you mine.

 **Moldy table:** _I thought this was supposed to be a price?_

Lance smiles, apparently the stranger has a sense of humor.

 **Moldy table** : _I was just kidding, I am going to block you._

And there goes his smile.

Lance **:** Wait nooooooo

 **Moldy table:** _Bye_

Lance panics, not wanting to be blocked now that the person finally started speaking to him even if only for a little bit. Not knowing what he’s doing, he’s pressing the calling button, immediately canceling it as soon as he realizes, soon enough before the counterpart could’ve even taken it. Not that they would after wanting to block Lance.

 **Moldy table** : _What the fuck?_

Lance **:** Sorry

Lance **:** just

Lance **:** im not dangerous or something, I just want to talk :)

 **Moldy table:** _That’s something a dangerous person would say._

Lance snorts.

Lance **:** :(((

Lance **:** Ok, you don’t have to tell me your name. But I won’t either.

 **Moldy table:** _Tragic_

Lance **:** Sshhh! But we can still text each other.

 **Moldy table:** _Guess I’ve got no other choice_.

Lance **:** That’s right, moldy!

 **Moldy** **table** : _…_

 **Moldy table:** _Care to explain?_

Lance **:** nah, that’s just your name.

 **Moldy table:** _I changed my mind, bye_

Lance **:** nooOO ok I was just kidding. So you wanted to know how I got your number right?

 **Moldy table:** _Explain the nickname!_

Lance **:** Geez, impatient much. It was written on a moldy table at the Galtea coffe shop.

Lance **:** Uh, wait maybe you don’t even know that place… and I somehow just gave away my location, shoot

 **Moldy table:** _You absolute dumbass._

 **Moldy table:** _It’s fine. I know it. Not like I go there a lot, I’ve just heard of it._

 **Lance:** Cool, so we’re probably not that far away from each other~ ;)

 **Moldy table:** _Does the story go on or was that all?_

Lance **:** Oh right! So yeah…

Lance thinks about whether he should tell them that his friend made him save the number so he could prove his loverboy capabilities. Somehow he feels that it wouldn’t leave a good impression on him but he also hates lying.

Lance **:** Yeah, my friend saved the number in my phone and named the contact “Moldy table” since, you know, it was written on one. Or carved, I don’t even remember… Long story short, that’s how soulmates meet in movies all the time.

 **Moldy table:** _This feels more like a horror movie to me…_

Lance actually sputters.

Lance **:** Rude!

 **Moldy table:** _I do wonder how my number ended up on that table though…_

Lance **:** Probably a weird ex of yours, you know, stuff like that happens all the time

 **Moldy table:** _I’ve never had a boyfriend before._

Lance frowns. When they found the number he just assumed it had to be an evil prank from an ex of that person. He just doesn’t know how else someone’s number would be carved into a table in some old coffee shop that doesn’t even have a lot of customers.

Lance **:** Wellll, that can be changed you knooooooww

 **Moldy table:** _Uh…_

Lance bites his bottom lip, increasing his typing speed.

Lance **:** Sorry! That came off too strong, I was just kidding. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable

After that, Lance doesn’t receive another answer and he actually smashes his head on his table, just to get yelled at from Iversion in front of the whole class. When he’s finally being kicked out, he sees Pidge grinning at him, mouthing “I told you so” and at that moment he wants nothing more than to bring up her mean comment from yesterday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's funny that Lance doesn't realize he might know his texting partner better than he thinks. Not that the other part does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I've literally got no time to proof read this chapter so I'll probably do so later and edit it if I find any errors.  
> Thanks for all the comments and everyone who read the first chapter!!! I'm always really self concious about whatever I do and I'm also almost always dissatisfied with what I do skanjebfkjwe but it motivated me to go on!

Lance wants to be a pilot. Of course he wants to be a pilot that’s why he got into the garrison in the first place. Dreaming of going to space, meeting aliens, exploring very different places. He wants to be an explorer, he wants to protect earth if he has to. His family, his friends, himself. Never will he forget how his heart almost exploded when the acceptance letter came in, his mother teasing him whether he made it or not. They all did celebrate the whole day, Lance has never seen his family so proud of him before. And he wants to make them even prouder. He wants to be a pilot and he wants to be a good one.

The best one, actually. He loves the idea of space so much, always had.

“I can’t beliiiiieve this guy”, he whines, his voice echoing through the halls of the garrison. His eyes are fixated on the board hanging on the wall. Palms pressed against the cold of it, he slides down miserably.

“What’s up, buddy?” A familiar warmth spreads on his right shoulder. Lance huffs, suddenly pushing his arms against the wall to push himself up, his back straightening again.

“He is at the top”, Lance complains, crossing his arms. “Again!”

Hunk shoots him a confused look, one eyebrow raised in question. “Who?” he asks.

Lance sighs loudly, making a scene out of the whole thing before he uncrosses his arms again to wildly wave one of his fingers in front of the top list. “That-“, he starts, increasing the roughness of his waving before tapping onto the name at the top. “That _Keith_ guy!” He spits out as if it’s a curse.

 _Yeah, Keith,_ Lance thinks. Keith is one of his classmates, not that Lance knows a lot about the mysterious guy who never really lets anyone come near him. He’s probably one of those persons who have such a huge ego that they don’t even feel like others have the right to speak to him in the first place. At least that’s what Lance suspects, because if there is one thing he knows about that guy, it’s his success in all of his classes, according to his never ending spot at the top of the top list. The number one. It’s the list where Lance never once got to the top five even though he works hard.

He’s not even a fighter pilot yet. He’s still a cargo pilot.

“Oh, Keith. Yeah, I don’t know how he does that. It’s really impressive”, Hunk answers absentmindedly, searching for his own name on the board for the engineers. “Hey, I’m third!”

Lance gives him a lazy smile. At least Hunk is doing as good as ever. “That’s cool, man! Next time you’re going to get to be first.”

Hunk shrugs, he never really cared about these things in the first place. Unlike Lance.

“Maybe you should talk to that Keith guy. You know, accuse him of cheating”, Hunk elbows his friend in a playful matter. “Just kidding”, he laughs, not that Lance took his words literally. “But seriously, maybe he can help you out or something.”

“What?!” Lance asks in an offended tone, throwing his hands up in an incredulous manner. “No way!”

Actually, Lance had tried to start a conversation with Keith before. Just one time though and it went bad. Really bad. He only said so much as ‘hi’ just to receive a very rude look of his self-proclaimed rival before he got ignored as Keith walked past him. _Oh it’s on,_ Lance had decided on that day. He had sworn to himself to never be one upped by that guy again.

Also, and while Lance tries to not think about this all the time, it does suck that he gets compared to Keith by Iverson so very often. Not that he cares about what Iverson thinks.

“Do you think it’s because he is so close to Shiro? I mean, that guy’s a legend, one of the best pilots the garrison ever had. I see them together all the time, maybe he gets some extra lessons or something.” Hunk checks his phone while talking.

“Hm”, Lance considers, one hand on his jaw but then he waves it off. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, yeah, he probably learns a lot from Shiro, but-“ Lance sighs. “He’s just one of those dummies that have unfairly amounts of talent without even doing anything.” Lance sometimes feels like Keith gets everything he wants in life, even the recognition of his hero, Takashi Shirogane.

Hunk snorts, raising his eyes from his phone. “Dummy?”

“What?! I’m not allowed to swear in front of my nieces and nephews! I just got used to it.”

“How cute”, Hunk grins in a teasing manner, shaking his head. “Well, then go tell that _dummy_ you’re gonna kick him off his place because he’s just about to come here.”

“What?!” Lance asks, turning around in one fast motion so that he almost crashes into Keith walking right into him. Luckily, they both stop in time.

“Careful”, Keith says, raising an eyebrow, taking a step back to increase the space between them.

Lance splutters: “You- _You_ almost ran into me!”

His rival scratches his neck as if he’s uncomfortable or considering something. Maybe thinking about whether or not he should apologize. Sometimes, Lance just doesn’t get him. He’s so, _so_ -

“Mysterious”, he accidently mumbles and Keith gives him a strange look. He clears his throat. “So? Are you gonna apologize for almost running me over?”

He receives a slightly pissed off look and Keith crosses his arms so Lance just mirrors him, suddenly feeling vulnerable if he doesn’t.

“No, it was an accident.”

“Well, people with manners apologize for accidents”, Lance counters, taking a step towards Keith, challenging him.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you do it then?” Keith takes a step forward as well and, Lance figures, he successfully riled him up.

“Well, _I_ certainly wasn’t the one who almost walked into a person!”

“And I didn’t stand in the hallway, blocking people’s path!”

“Oh, so you _do_ think you own the halls of the garri-“

Suddenly, Lance feels pressure on his stomach as both of them are being pulled apart before they even had a chance of noticing how close they actually got.

“Ok, guys. Enough with the fighting, we’ve got some classes and we’ve got them _now_ ”, Hunk interrupts, being the voice of reason like always.

When Lance shoots Keith one last glare, just to receive a roll of his eyes back, he notices Keith walking right past the board, without even giving it a quick look. Unintentionally Lance stares after him, trying to figure that guy out. Not that it works. He clenches his jaw. Somehow, it pisses him off.

 

\------------------------------

 

 **Moldy table** : _Hey, can you do me a favor?_

Lance actually blinks at his display, bringing it right in front of his eye. He hasn’t heard of his little texting stranger for two days since he made this very upfront comment. So when he receives that cryptic message in the middle of the night, he actually smiles to himself.

Lance: Geez, I thought you hated me! Unless it’s something really impossible, then sure, spit it out!

 **Moldy table:** _Well, guess I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself._

Lance snorts into his pillow.

 **Moldy table:** _Can you maybe… remove my number of that table you spoke off?_

Lance: Got some more random stranger’s texting you?

 **Moldy table:** _No but I also don’t want them to. Please._

The little “please” somehow does something to Lance’s heart. It’s so insignificant but… sweet.

Lance: I got you.

 **Moldy table:** _Thanks, guess you’re ok for now._

Lance: Yeeeeess!

Lance: Oh, but – not saying I won’t do it – just, why don’t you do it yourself? Are you not from here?

 **Moldy table:** _What a subtle way of asking where I’m from._

Lance draws his eyebrows together, before realization hits him all at once.

Lance: OH, darn it, I actually didn’t mean to!

Lance: I’m smoother than that, trust me.

 **Moldy table:** _Uh-huh._

Lance: Hey!!!

 **Moldy table:** _What? I’m totally convinced you are_.

Lance: I can physically feel the sarcasm oozing out of my phone.

 **Moldy table:** _Good._

 **Moldy table:** _And since you’re so smooth and cool and all- I just don’t want to go there. No particular reason._

Lance: Oh, ok.

Lance restrains himself by fighting his curiosity down and not asking any further.

Lance: Maybe you should think about changing your number then. Seems like there’s someone who has a little fun with your current one. Got any enemies?

 **Moldy table:** _Not that I know of. It’s not that people like me in particular but I wouldn’t go as far as saying I have any enemies per se._

Lance: Huh, why is that?

 **Moldy table:** _Are you asking me why I don’t have enemies?_

Lance: no, no. the first thing. About people not liking you much?

 **Moldy table:** _I don’t know._

They are really closed off about their personal life. His… what, actually. He doesn’t even know what to call it, since “friend” just sounds a little bit too intimate considering they barely know anything about each other. Seems like that won’t change for a while, judging on the way the stranger keeps things ambiguous and impersonal. He doesn’t know why, but Lance feels something disheartening about that.

His thoughts are being interrupted, as his phone lights up again, filling the dark room with brightness.

 **Moldy table:** _The closest person I would consider an “enemy” is someone at my school. Nothing serious though, he just riles me up all the time._

Lance: Sounds like he’s pulling your pigtails.

 **Moldy table:** _?? My hair might be long-ish but I don’t wear pigtails._

Lance: no, it’s a… do you not know the saying? The one every teachers likes to say whenever a boy is being mean to a girl in class??? I’ve heard it, like, 1000 times.

 **Moldy table:** _What saying?_

He can’t help but smile stupidly to himself, huffing and pushing his forehead against the display.

_That’s kinda cute._

Lance: It’s fine, I was just joking anyway. That’s actually kind of rude, do you think he’s the one playing around with your number?

 **Moldy table:** _Nah, I don’t think so. I wouldn’t even know where he would’ve gotten it in the first place. Besides, it’s not really hostile, I just don’t get him._  

Lance: You’ve probably got something he doesn’t, jealousy and envy makes people do stupid stuff all the time, don’t think about it.

 **Moldy table:** _whatever_

There it is again, cutting off the conversation all of a sudden.

Lance: Soooooo, since you’re still going to school… I can rule out the chance of you actually being 30+ years old.

 **Moldy table:** _Who knows? Maybe I had to repeat so many years that now I’m in school with a bunch of little kids?_

Lance: ha-ha ):<

Lance: So you’re not going to tell me your age?

 **Moldy table:** _Hmmm_

Lance: Pretty pleeeeeease?

 **Moldy table:** _Fine, go first._

Lance: You better not be lying, moldy bread crumb or I will personally come after you!!!

 **Moldy table:** _Stop giving me disgusting nicknames!_

Lance: nuh-uh, too late it’s just too much fun.

Lance: I’m a beautiful, very young man at the age of 17.

 **Moldy table:** _Oh, wow. You’re a baby._

“What?!” He jolts up in his bed, sitting cross-legged while staring at his phone.

Lance: I’m not!!! Well, how old are you then, hm???

 **Moldy table:** _You’re a kid, I don’t think we should continue talking. As an adult, I’ve got responsibilities._

He furrows his eyebrows, almost concern sprawled over his face.

Lance: You-! YOu are in school, how are you so old?!

For a moment, as he types angrily, he swears he can feel the buttons as though he is typing on a physical keyboard. His eyes start to hurt, they are probably red by now, as he stares at the opened chat for five minutes straight before his chat partner finally answers.

 **Moldy table:** _Sorry, I just had to. I’m 18, stop freaking out._

Lance: YOUUUUUUUUUUUU

He lets out a small, angry growl before he falls down backwards on his bed again. Despite his anger, he feels a smile creeping up on his face. He can’t believe he just got played with like that.

Lance: You probably took that five minutes to laugh your stupid, unattractive ass off, I bet!!!

 **Moldy table:** _Basically, yeah._

Lance: Ohhh, you’re evil, I see how it is!

Lance: But, you know what. I’m turning 18 this summer too so it doesn’t even matter.

 **Moldy table:** _Maybe I’ll already be 19 by then?_

Lance: Stop aging so fast!!!

 **Moldy table:** _I- what?! That doesn’t even make sense!_

Lance: Still!!!!!

Lance: So when is your birthday then?

 **Moldy table:** _I was kidding, actually. I’m an October child._

Lance: Cool, enough time to think about a nice birthday present ;)

 **Moldy table:** _Don’t_

Lance: You are so no fun!

 **Moldy table:** _I had plenty of fun, just five minutes ago._

Lance: I can’t believe I texted satan himself.

 **Moldy table** : _Hey_

Lance: Hm?

 **Moldy table:** _What should I call you?_

Something weird spreads inside of Lance’s stomach as it slowly travels to his heart, making his heartbeat grow faster. He tries to fight it down, telling himself not to get riled up over such a little thing such as the stranger finally saving his number in their phone's contacts.

Lance: UUUUUh

Lance: How about: Pretty boy. Trust me, it fits me better than my actual name.

 **Moldy table:** _You really think I’m going to name you “pretty boy” after you told me I’m saved as “moldy table” in your contacts?_

Lance: I can change it to “pretty moldy table”

 **Moldy table:** _You’re on really thin ice right now._

Lance: Ok-ok!!!

 **Moldy table:** _I’ll just come up with something on my own._

Lance: oh no

 **Moldy table:** _How about baby?_

Lance chokes. He chokes so hard, he almost thinks he’s going to die here and now, killing himself with his own spit.

 **Moldy table:** _You know, since you’re so young and still a little kid._

Lance lets out a long sigh after that, before he ends up giggling like crazy, stifling his sounds with his pillow as best as possible.

 **Moldy table:** _wait_

_Oh, here it comes._

**Moldy table _:_** _Uh, ok I will_

 **Moldy table:** _I will not call you that after all for… obvious reasons, I just realized._

Lance: Oh god

He takes a deep breath, recovering from his stupid laughing fit and almost suffocating himself.

Lance: You are so cute

 **Moldy table:** _shut up_

Lance: Noo, I will never forget this moment

 **Moldy table:** _Would you shut up?!_

Lance: You can’t deny the cuteness.

 **Moldy table:** _Oh look, it’s 3 am also known as the time for little fucking kids who act like brats to go to sleep!_

Lance’s almost hurting grin falters as he takes a look at the time. It’s not a lie. It’s an understatement even, he realizes, as he reads the numbers “3:24”. He groans.

Lance: nooooOOO, I will be so tired :’(

 **Moldy table:** _rightfully so._

 

\------------------------------

 

Today is a rather sunny day, it’s hot outside and while Lance and Hunk live for it, Pidge complains constantly about the unbearable heat. All the way to the Galtea coffee shop she almost melted into the ground, dragging her feet while whining.

“This is literally the best feeling, only being second to hacking into Iversion’s computer to fuck some shit up”, Pidge coos, nipping on her ice coffee.

Hunk and Lance giggle, Hunk slightly kicking her under the table.

“Pidge, you know you shouldn’t”, he scolds despite his grin.

“There are a lot of things Pidgeon shouldn’t do, but you know how she is, Hunk”, Lance says, nudging his friend next to him. A little too hard, he figures, as she shoots him a glare because of almost spilling her drink.

They talk a bit about a lot of different stuff, the garrison, family stories and stupid dreams until Hunk sighs, pulling out his school supplies and practically throwing them on top of the table.

“Ok guys, we actually have work to do.”

Lance slides down on his seat, wishing to just get eaten by the ground. At the moment, he just doesn’t know motivation for anything in regards to the garrison.

“Lance”, Pidge scolds, grabbing him by his collar and attempting to pull him up, though she clearly struggles because of her weak arms.

Of course Lance knows mercy so he just pulls himself up, looking down at Pidge with a raised eyebrow, a teasing grin decorating his face.

“Don’t. Say. Anything”, Pidge hisses, putting on her worst death glare.

“Could you two stop acting like stupid siblings who get on their nerves 24/7 for a moment?” Hunk pleads, organizing the chaos on the table. “This is a group project.”

At that, Lance’s attention is fully on Hunk, his head turns towards his best friend, his ears focused on his words. “Group… project?” He repeats in a dumbfounded voice.

“Yes”, Hunk confirms firmly, “a group project, Lance.”

“What. When. WHAT. Ok, no actually it’s fine. We’re in a group together right? We are?”

It’s not that Lance hates the thought of being paired up with other people from his class, he just hates the thought of being paired up with certain people. With Allura, for example. Now, someone could assume he dislikes Allura but that’s far from true. The problem is, Allura is Nyma’s best friend and ever since their break up he hasn’t really figured out how to speak to her. Not that Allura behaved hostile towards him or anything, they just kinda… stopped talking. Which is sad, since they had a really beautiful friendship going on before and after him and Nyma started dating. It was more complicated than that though and Lance hates thinking back to it.

The thing is, before he and Nyma even got to know each other, Lance had developed a big crush on Allura. Not that she had ever shown even the slightest bit of interest in him but he still tried. Of course, when he and Nyma got to know each other and something romantic developed between them, he didn’t think of her as a replacement or something, his crush on Allura finally gone. Still, Nyma knew about it because Lance isn’t the person to lie about stuff like that and while she never really showed any concern regarding this topic, he can’t really shake off the feeling that it was a driving point for their final fight. Today, he’s just glad it hadn’t effected the friendship of the two girls, they seem to get along better than ever.

“Yeah, kinda? It’s a group project for five” Hunk explains, not paying much attention to Lance’s inner breakdown.

Lance bites his bottom lip nervously.

“Who’s joining us then?” He asks, trying to sound like he doesn’t actually care as much as he does. Because, he does. A lot.

Pidge and Hunk exchange a weird look, like they are about to tell Lance the worst news ever.

“Uh, it’s…” Hunk starts and Lance is already ready to accept his fate. “It’s Keith.”

“Ugh, I knew it. How am I supposed to talk to her aft- wait, what?”

“Wait, were you worried about Nyma? Dude, she’s not even in our class.”

“NO! Not her but Allura, because, you know- that doesn’t matter right now! Why Keith?!”

Lance never knew the feeling of relief and sudden anger could meet in a way they do right now.

“Calm down”, Pidge lays a hand on his shoulder and puts pressure on it. Lance hadn’t even noticed the way he has lifted himself up from his seat. He sits back down, arms crossed.

“Literal nightmare.”

“What’s your issue with that guy anyway?” She asks in an annoyed tone.

“He’s always trying to one up me, thinking he’s the best and all!” Lance complains loudly before Hunk shushes him because they are gaining angry looks from other customers.

“Don’t you think that’s all just in your head?”

_No._

“In fact, he doesn’t really seem to care about being better than you. Or about you in general”, Pidge says, brutally honest.

“That’s even worse”, Lance mumbles, pulling his arms tighter, “he doesn’t even acknowledge me as competition, that’s how much he thinks he’s better than anyone.”

When he glances at Pidge, he sees it in her eyes, the way she wants to tell him how dumb that is but he’s sure, she also sees in his eyes how he doesn’t want to hear about it. So neither of them say anything.

“Why him though? I mea- don’t look at me like that!” Lance pouts as he feels the weird looks they are giving him “I _mean_ , speaking outside of our rivalry. Why would he team up with us?”

Hunk shrugs. “It’s not like he volunteered. We were just short on two people and he hadn’t teamed up with anyone yet.”

“Imagine having such a huge ego, you even refuse to do a group project with your classmates”, Lance mumbles rather to himself but his friends still catch his words. They look at him in a kind of judging way.

“Dude”, Hunk starts, his voice something in between slightly angered and somewhat concerned. A weird mix. Lance looks up. “I know you and him are on bad terms or whatever, but… I don’t think it’s an ego thing at all.”

“Well, I do. He’s the best, the fighter pilot, the best pilot in our class even.”

“Ok, but stop making this about yourself for one second”, Pidge interjects and Lance flinches involuntarily. She didn’t even say it in a malicious or angry tone but it still caught him off guard. He lowers his eyes.

“I don’t know that guy in any way more than you do, but… haven’t you noticed how much he’s avoided by everyone else? He’s kind of…”

“The loner”, Pidge finishes his sentence and Hunk nods in agreement.

Actually, Lance has noticed. From day one. He doesn’t know how a guy can fuck up that badly that his first day at school gets him to be a lone wolf. Lance didn’t like it. He still doesn’t, somehow. Because he knows how much it sucks to be outside of anything. But then, when he tried to approach Keith that one day and he got pushed away in such a brutal way, he was… hurt. Even if he doesn’t really want to admit it to himself. If Hunk and Pidge knew, they would totally call him butthurt and Lance would defend himself, despite deep down knowing, maybe… maybe there was some truth to it. He can’t really describe whatever it is that really drives him crazy whenever it involves Keith. And he somehow refuses to think about it because he’s not really sure if he wants to know. He doesn’t want to think about whether he’s just jealous, butthurt or whatever. He keeps telling himself that Keith actually just puts himself above everyone else.

“But, to be honest, it doesn’t seem like he minds it that much. Maybe he’s just an introvert, I don’t know. Whatever it is, he’s involved in our group project and we’re going to this together.”

“Yeah, I know”, Lance sighs, “and I’m fine by it but he’s still my rival and I’m not going to be one upped every time!”

His friends shoot him a sympathetic smile.

“Wait”, Lance’s eyes suddenly go wide, “you said we were short on two persons? Who is the other one?”

Hunk grins. “Oh you’ll be happy to hear!” Lance blinks, waiting for Hunk to continue. “It’s actually Shiro.”

“What?!” Lance’s jaw goes slack and his hands fall flat on the table causing a loud noise. “But! He’s a teacher!” His voice even cracks.

“Yeah, I actually kind of lied. I mean, he will do one part of our project but it’s not like he will do it with us, he probably got better things to do than that. He’s just gonna fill in the role of our missing member.”

“That’s still awesome! We will do so good on our group project that he will be super impressed by me- I mean us, us!” Pidge and Hunk just snort. “And then Iversion will finally realize my true capabilities.”

“Ok, sure. But for that to happen we will have to actually work on this.”

Lance sighs. “Riiight, that. What is that project about anyway?”

Pidge’s eyes suddenly light up, she pushes back her glasses and starts talking: “It’s about Voltron. Have you heard about it? It’s a legend that’s hundreds and hundreds of years old. My father talks a lot about it. However, we will have to do a lot of research, all of us will work on one part of the robot-“

Lance doesn’t even realize the way he stops listening as his eyes fixate on the number that’s carved into the table. He almost forgot. He shoots Pidge a glance. It seems she realized Lance’s attention went elsewhere so she is talking to Hunk now, all excited and whatnot. He smiles, pulling out the key to his dorm room before he starts putting pressure on the spot where the number’s at. When he’s finally convinced the numbers aren’t readable anymore, he pulls out his phone and takes a picture.

Lance: [Image sent]

Lance: Successfully protected you from other weird strangers. <3

“Are you getting rid of the number so no one else gets in the way of wooing your stranger?” Pidge teases as she catches him being focused on his phone, probably grinning like an idiot.

“Yeah, how is it going actually?” Hunk asks, eyes curiously glued on him.

“Can’t tell, really”, Lance shrugs, “She’s kind of closed off. But I somehow like that, I guess. She’s fun, too and sometimes really oblivious, it’s cute.” There is actually a lot of more things that fascinate him but he feels like he’ll maybe get embarrassed by it if he goes on now. Which is weird, since he’s usually really open and vocal about things like that.

“Ew”, Pidge says, despite grinning.

\------------------------------

 

 **Moldy table:** _It’s not even moldy in the first place._

Lance has to think about what his texting partner actually means before he connects it to the picture he had sent them.  

Lance: That’s what you focused on?

He laughs. He’s currently alone in his and Hunk’s room because his two best friends earlier decided to do some techy stuff. Not something Lance would be interested in, so he figured he’d just chill in their room for a while.

 **Moldy table:** _Well yeah, I’m still confused as to why I would have to be called like that._

Somehow Lance adores the way the stranger can’t get over the fact they got a nickname like that.

Lance: Well you can thank my friend for that one, she’s the one who came up with it, moldy grump ball.

 **Moldy table:** _Ugh, you’re the worst. But whatever, thanks._

Lance: I’ve never gotten told I’m the worst while being thanked in one message.

 **Moldy table:** _…you went really hard on it, how did you not get in trouble for brutally scratching on the table like that?_

Lance: Oh… oh god, I haven’t even thought about that. I could’ve gotten into bad trouble, moldy!!! I risked everything for you

 **Moldy table:** _Stop exaggerating._

Lance: Tsk, you’re so ungrateful

 **Moldy table:** _Well, it’s not like you actually got in trouble so you’re fine._

Lance: Luckily!!!

Lance: So what are you at right now? Doing something interesting?

 **Moldy table:** I’m, uh. I’m just outside right now.

Lance: Huh? Alone?

 **Moldy table:** Well, yeah.

Lance: And you’re doing whaaaaaaaaat there?

 **Moldy table:** _Nothing in particular. I just… like the outside, I don’t know. It’s refreshing and I like the open._

There is light excitement growing in Lance’s stomach, he can feel it by the way his fingers start to type faster. He finally gets to know more about his new friend.

Lance: Actually, I totally get that. I love the breeze of the wind, I love rain and beaches. Oh! I also really love space and if that’s not the definition of open, then I don’t know.

 **Moldy table:** _I do, too._

Lance: Maybe one day we will get on a space adventure together.

 **Moldy table:** _Don’t get ahead of yourself._

He smiles, laying down on his back with his phone above him, careful not to drop it onto his face.

Lance: So you’re a nature person, huh?

 **Moldy table:** _Kind of, I guess._

Lance: Not scared of bugs biting you?

 **Moldy table:** _No- why would I? It’s not like every bug has some poisonous sting or something._

Lance: Some do!

 **Moldy table:** _I’m sensing some ‘I’ll scream if bugs come more than 1 meter near me’ kind off vibes._

Lance: ughhh, they’re just so- so small and it feels so weird when they touch you. No Bueno.

 **Moldy table:** _You’re really made for exploring space._

Lance: Hey! What does that mean!

 **Moldy table:** _I’m just saying, if you’re afraid of bugs, like the ones we got on earth, how will you survive encountering aliens?_

Lance: Ohhhh, so you believe in aliens!

 **Moldy table:** _What and you don’t?_

Lance: They don’t exist until proven otherwise.

Lance: Also? I would totally charm them.

 **Moldy table:** _Oh yeah, no doubt._

Lance: Maybe you are an alien.

 **Moldy table:** _Maybe?_

Lance: nah, aliens don’t know sarcasm

 **Moldy table:** _I thought they didn’t exist in the first place?_

Lance: Shut up, I will tell the aliens to come after you when I first meet them!

 **Moldy table:** _It’s fine that just means I get to proof they exist to so many non-believers._

Lance: Guess we’ll have to go on a space adventure after all, just to meet some aliens ;)

 **Moldy table:** _Let’s see :)_

Lance: !!!

Lance: You did a smiley!!!

 **Moldy table:** _No, I didn’t._

Lance: [image sent]

Lance: The screenshot of truth.

 **Moldy table:** _ugh_

 **Moldy table:** _I can’t believe you seriously weren’t joking about my name this whole time…_

Lance: Awww, get over it already!

 **Moldy table:** _Never_

Lance: You were the one who rejected my offer to rename you into “pretty moldy table”

 **Moldy table** : _It’s not better, not even in the slightest_

 **Moldy table:** _Also, people are giving me weird looks, stop making me grin in public._

Lance’s heartbeat speeds up again, and he nervously slides his thumbs over his display. He really managed to made them grin. In public, even. Pride fills his chest and he starts feeling giddy. It’s so different to all the other times he got to know someone. There is this big distance, they barely know anything about each other but that’s probably the reason why every little new thing he finds out makes him feel really funny and happy.

Lance: Oh, stop complaining! The first day I texted you, I actually got kicked out of my class by my teacher!

Moldy table: Wow, you are a dumbass!

Lance: You’re the one still texting me, moldy sugar <3

 **Moldy table:** _Oh wow that one was kinda pretty disgusting in particular._

Lance: You secretly love it, I can sense it

 **Moldy table:** _You should get your senses checked_

Lance: Hmmm I can sense you being a grumpy cat

 **Moldy table:** _Again, get your senses checked._

Lance: I bet you’re one of those people who will throw their controller out of a window whenever they lose at Mario kart

 **Moldy table:** _Mario Kart?_

Lance: :OOO!!

Lance: Don’t tell me you don’t play video games

 **Moldy table:** _uh…_

 **Moldy table:** _I’ve played some before_

 **Moldy table:** _Just not that one in particular, I guess_

Lance: Ohh it’s so on! We will have to play that one day!

Lance: Or a round of Mario Party or whatever, it will be fun.

Lance: You can be my player two ;)

 **Moldy table:** _I never accepted your invitation_

Lance: It’s not an invitation, it’s a promise!!!

 **Moldy table:** _Mhhh, ok._

 **Moldy table:** _…but I want to be player one._

Lance: WHAT

Lance: nooooOO, my friend ALWAYS gets to be player one let me have this one time!!!

 **Moldy table:** _Guess we’re not playing after all._

Lance: Ugh, you are the worst. THE. WORST.

Lance: I’ll let it slide this one time because you’re cute (sometimes, you’re also evil.)

Lance: We will have to be careful though, my friend secretly sneaked it into her dorm room, they actually don’t allow stuff like that here.

 **Moldy table:** _So no ‘throwing the controller out of the window?’_

Lance: I’m afraid no

Lance: Also we don’t have a window so there’s that

 **Moldy table:** _ugh, it’s gonna be stuffy_.

Lance: Especially if I’ll ask my friends to play with us, we have 5 controllers so it would work

Lance: You can bring a friend, we will find a way to sneak both of you in

Lance: If we’re playing Mario kart we will have to rotate though, there can only be 4 players at once

Lance: We have other multiplayer games though :)

 **Moldy table:** _Uh…_

Lance: I mean

Lance: Just hypothetically, I’m not pressuring you into coming! It’d just be cool some day maybe y’know…

 **Moldy table:** _No, it’s fine. I will think about it… maybe_

 **Moldy table:** _I won’t bring someone, though._

Lance: Ok, that’s fine. I just thought you’d maybe feel more comfortable like that.

 **Moldy table:** _Yeah, it’s just. I don’t have many friends, I guess._

Lance: Oh

 **Moldy table:** _I have a very close friend, he’s almost like family to me so it’s fine._

Lance: Oh yeah, my best friends are almost like siblings to me!

Lance: Also, I consider you a friend…

 **Moldy table:** _Hmm, I’ll think about that._

Lance: *GASP*

Lance: You are SO rude!

 **Moldy table:** _Just kidding, you are something I guess._

Lance: ‘Something’ she says…

Lance’s grin spreads from one ear to another the whole time he’s talking to his new friend over the phone. When he started talking about playing games together, he actually got really excited and while he’s waiting for another message, he plays it out inside his head. He would totally not go easy on them, he has a reputation to live up to after all, and Pidge already always beats him whenever he’s not hundred percent concentrated. They would grab some snacks late at night, sneaking them into their room, giggling and shushing each other.

Of course they barely know each other but it’s just a nice thought that, maybe, one day they can really do this and just have some fun together.

Lance’s funny fantasy stops when he realizes he hasn’t been getting an answer for more than 10 minutes now. It’s not like they usually constantly text each other but he’s somewhat concerned if he actually said something wrong or made them uncomfortable with his excitement.

Lance: Hey, you ok?

He stares at the display until he finally sees ‘ _Moldy table is typing’_ plopping up on it.

And it stops.

And it comes back.

And stops.

Lance: Uh, I’m kinda getting nervous here… did I say something weird…

 **Moldy table:** _No_

He releases a breath of relief.

 **Moldy table:** _But_

He holds it again, expecting the worst.

 **Moldy table:** _I’m not a she_

 **Moldy table:** _I mean, I’m a dude._

Lance blinks several times. And then he finally realizes. He never asked about this sort of thing, he had just assumed he was talking to a female this whole time. Which, in retrospect, was kind of ignorant.

Lance: Oh

Lance: oh guess we’ve got something in common huh

He doesn’t know whether the other has thought he was a girl or a boy. He doesn’t recall if he ever said something regarding his gender.

Lance: Oh god I just assumed you were a girl the whole time I don’t even know why I just idk

Even when he texts, he tends to start rambling whenever he gets nervous.

 **Moldy table:** _It’s fine._

His hands fidget uneasily above his phone. He’s not sure what to say, somehow the atmosphere turned awkward. Can there even be an atmosphere through texts? Before he can exit his stage of nervousness, he gets another text.

 **Moldy table:** _Just figured I’d tell you. Bye._

Lance: wait, what what no why bye???

 **Moldy table:** _You’re clearly uncomfortable._

Lance: I’m not!

Lance: Listen, I’m really not. I’m more embarrassed of myself because I should’ve just asked or like, at least done anything else then, well _that._

Lance: I feel like an idiot…

 **Moldy table:** _It’s not like I ever told you._

Lance: Yeah, but still. You probably didn’t just assume I was a girl or whatever

 **Moldy table:** _Not really, Mister “call me pretty boy”_

Lance: Oh yeah, that happened…

 **Moldy table:** _Yep._

Lance: Uh… ok, so, I mean… aside from the fact that that was a jerk move, it doesn’t really change anything. At least, for me. I still want to be friends.

Lance: And I’m normally not one to just go “Oh, that’s a girl/boy/etc!” It’s just… I know I didn’t quite tell you but my girlfriend recently broke up with me and uuh that’s so personal but whatever and then my friends told me to just go ahead and text that number and I probably somehow connected it to “girlfriend” immediately sooo… Not that I was like “oh yeah, I will have this girl wrapped around my finger”-- aaand there’s no way I don’t sound like a huge jerk by now

 **Moldy table:** _Well, I’m not a girl and you’re not getting a girlfriend out of this._

Lance: That’s fine!

Lance: I think you’re an interesting person and I enjoyed talking to you and even if you were a girl I would be just as fine by getting to know each other as friends and friends only. I know I flirted with you because, well, you are cute and I somehow tend to do that I guess

Lance: I’m sorry if I somehow made you uncomfortable with my lowkey flirting…

 **Moldy table** : _Lowkey?_

Lance: Yeah ok, maybe there was one time it wasn’t that lowkey

 **Moldy table:** _[Quote: Unknown: >> Wellll, that can be changed you knooooooww <<]_

 **Moldy table:** _You’re the master of lowkey flirting._

Lance: I APOLOGIZED FOR THAT!

 **Moldy table:** _I know, I still cringed for days._

Lance: ThaT’S!

Lance: It’s not THAT bad!

 **Moldy table:** _Oh yeah it is and the amount of ‘;)’ you gave me? I almost blocked you._

Lance: Ok, you know what? You’ll get a hell lot more of that, just for insulting me like that.

 **Moldy table:** _Oh god, stop and spare me._

Lance: Oh that quote reminds me…

Lance: May I ask you a rather personal question?

 **Moldy table:** _No guarantee I’ll answer._

Lance: … is that a no?

 **Moldy table:** _It’s a “try and we’ll see.”_

Lance: ok…

Lance: [Quote: Moldy table: >> _I’ve never had a boyfriend before. <<]_

 _ **Moldy table:**_ _If you’re about to pull some homophobic shit next, I will block you for real._

Lance: NO!

Lance: God, no. You really do think I’m a jerk…

 _ **Moldy table:**_ _I don’t really know what you are._

Lance: ughh stupid and sorry.

Lance: But for sure not homophobic.

Lance: Maybe I’ll get a boyfriend out of this instead? ;)))))))))))))) (Look, it’s your favorite smiley!)

Lance swallows. His message may seem rather carefree but he has actually never ever admitted something like that to anyone, not even himself. And he’s not even sure where that came from and why his hands are sweating right now, as if he just came out to the whole word. Came out… as what exactly? Now that he sent the message, he kinda has the urge to delete it again, not really ready to deal with these thoughts. But it’s out there and it also feels good in a way. He can’t deny that he had some butterflies in his stomach before and it’s not like that would change just like that. Maybe he should stop overthinking this topic for once and just go with the flow.

 _ **Moldy table:**_ _First you assume my gender and now you assume I’ve got no taste._

Lance: I may have been wrong about some things I assumed about you but I’ve been right about one thing this whole time

Lance: You, my good man, are really, really, rude.

Yeah, why actually not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, it kinda feels like now the story will actually really begin to unfold and the next chapter will probably be from Keith's POV!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love working in teams? Keith, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo  
> Ok, I gotta admit it took me so freaking long to update this time, I've had a looooot of stuff to do lately. I still hope you enjoy the chapter, it's decently long (and I still feel like??? nothing really??? happens??? idk, it's bad writing guys ;))  
> It's written from Keith's POV because I think changing POV's makes it easier for me to really get into both characters. I hope you don't mind!  
> I'm gonna go nyoom and edit the last chapters now because I've noticed tons of embarrassing errors, bye!
> 
> ~acepylot

“Keith! Slow down already!” Someone shouts and Keith registers it somewhere in the back of his head but instead of slowing down, he speeds up. In front of him is a huge asteroid field he successfully flies through. He dodges every single object, maneuvering them through the field in a wild, shaky flight. Piloting is one of his biggest talents, something he could probably do blind by now. It’s something that gives him happiness, a feeling of freedom and wild adventure. He loves speed, he loves to speed up and he sees no reason to slow down, ever.

“Keith!” His ears are filled with shouting again and he groans, his grip on the controls tightening. Something tells him to do the opposite of what’s being said, to not listen.

“Oh god, I’m dying”, one of them says and then there are gagging sounds, Keith growls and is about to finally turn around, when the simulation suddenly stops.  
“Simulation failed.”

“Just great”, one of his teammates sighs before glaring at Keith. _It’s not my fault!_

As soon as the group of three exits the simulator, all of them are greeted with an unhappy looking Iversion. Angry even. Maybe even furious. They all stand straight in front of him, terrified.

“I can’t believe you failed the simulator when the simulated mission wasn’t even hard to begin with!” He scolds right into their faces. The small girl next to Keith winces and he grits his teeth.

“Especially you!” Iversion now turns to Keith in particular, glaring down on him with stern, angered eyes. “You might be the best pilot in this class but if you don’t start cooperating with your team more, it will get you nowhere!” Keith drops his head to avoid getting more splashes of spit on his face, suppressing the urge to growl. “Dismissed”, their Instructor hisses and they all move away in shame.

“Great work, _Keith_ ”, one of his teammates grumbles under his breath and Keith clenches his fists even harder in response, his nails now digging hurtful into his skin. They are almost trembling, urging him to beat something, someone, _anything_. Instead, he just leaves his classes. He doesn’t even have to be discreet about it, nobody would notice anyway. Maybe Iversion would sooner or later, but whatever. If he doesn’t leave right now, he might actually beat out his instructor’s eye, the one he always uses to look at them as though they are worth nothing.

Keith sighs, wandering through the empty halls of the garrison. He could’ve handled it alone, back then in the simulator. They would’ve made it, Keith knows how to pilot, he knows it better than anything else. They wouldn’t have crashed if they would’ve just let him do his thing. Thinking back to it, he immediately feels anger filling up his entire body. But mostly, he’s angry at himself and he doesn’t even really get why.

“Keith”, a familiar voice suddenly calls out and Keith lifts his head, looking at Shiro. His mood immediately calms down a little bit.

“Shiro”, he answers, stopping right before him.

Even though they’ve only known each other for about four years now, Keith feels like it has been an eternity. Like Shiro has been at his side ever since he was a little boy. Maybe, he thought to himself sometimes, maybe it was because Shiro actually let him be that from time to time. A little boy, that is. Something Keith never really got to do when he was small, always moving from one place to the other, never finding home in any of them. Never finding family or something grounding that he can count on. Whenever he thinks back, he finds himself being alone.

And then there is Shiro, a friend, probably Keith’s first and only, but at the same time filling the role of a big brother. Not that Keith would know how having a brother feels like exactly but he’s sure if he had to describe it, it would be this. For the first time, something had felt grounding to him.

Shiro eyes him with a raised eyebrow and Keith drops his head in shame.

“I couldn’t handle being in there a moment longer, Shiro. Seriously”, he explains.

When he carefully looks up again, he’s met with Shiro smiling sympathetically at him. “Alright, I’ll let it slide this one time.” Keith knows it’s a lie, considering that Keith skipping classes wasn’t the first time to begin with. And it wouldn’t be the last, they both knew that. “What happened?”

Keith growls, crossing his arms, not meeting the eyes of his instructor.

“Keith”, Shiro sighs, sliding his fingers through his own puff of hair, looking stressed. Keith gulps, feeling guilty of making Shiro worry all the time. He just couldn’t help it. “I get that it’s hard. But you should at least work on whatever happened back there. I know you easily lose your temper-“

“I don’t!” Keith immediately argues before shutting up again, biting his bottom lip.

“You _do_. I don’t know what’s troubling you or what happened but you should maybe consider opening up a little bit more. Especially to your classmates.”

Keith doesn’t say anything. His eyes are fixated on the floor, fists still balled. It’s not that Keith didn’t try. Ok, maybe that was a lie. He just doesn’t see a point in trying, getting closer to people is a scary concept to him. He’s got Shiro, a friend and his family, that should be enough. He doesn’t want to get to know other people on an intimate basis just so they have something they can hold against him. Or worse, just so they can leave him again. Besides, no one would want to befriend him anyway.

“Hey”, Shiro says again and this time there is a reassuring hand on his shoulder, squeezing a bit. “Of course you can also always talk to me about whatever. You know that, right?” A friendly smile to which Keith responds with an equally friendly smile.

The moment he opens his mouth to answer Shiro, he feels something vibrate in his pocket. His smile fades into a confused look and Shiro raises an eyebrow. He wants to let it slide, when it vibrates again. And again. Until it doesn’t even stop. Keith growls, nervously fishing out his phone. Shiro laughs a little bit.

“Oh? I didn’t even notice you becoming that popular, Keith. I’m impressed.”

“Shut up”, Keith mumbles sheepishly and when he finally gets his phone out, he mutes it immediately. He opens the tons of messages that came in.

 **Unknown:** _hey_

 **Unknown:**   _hey hey heheyyyy_

 **Unknown:** _moldy mold boy, don’t ignore me now im bored this is an emergency_

 **Unknown:** _come oooooooooon stop having a life_

**Unknown:** _shdkajhdksa_

**Unknown:** _ksjdasverh SPAM ALERT_

Keith sighs despite fighting a smile creeping up on his face. He really hopes Shiro doesn’t notice.

He does.

And he smiles right back, smug and clearly amused. Keith feels his face heat up and he groans.

“So? Who’s that lucky person?” His friend chuckles, ignoring Keith feeling mortified right now.

“Just-“, he thinks for second, not knowing how to word it. “Just some, uh, some guy. He texted me randomly.”

The taller man’s smile slowly turns into a sceptic look. He eyes Keith like a father would eye his daughter the moment she tells him she got to know a cute boy at school. Keith rolls his eyes. 3, 2, 1…

“Please be careful.” There it is, Shiro’s big brother mode immediately activated. “You don’t know that person after all.”

“Don’t worry” Keith takes one quick look at his phone again.

 **Unknown:** _*sniff* cant believe you’re for real ignoring me right now </3 :’(_

**Unknown:** _I CAN SEE YOU READING MY TEXTS!_

Keith grins involuntarily, bringing a hand to his face to hide it. “Yeah. There really is nothing to worry about”, he repeats.

Shiro chuckles, his entire stance getting softer again, patting Keith’s shoulder. “Ok, then. I’m glad you’re making friends.” Before Keith can respond to his little comment, Shiro just walks past him, leaving him alone in the hallway again. This time though, Keith doesn’t feel nearly as lonely as before.

Keith **:** Wow, apparently you’re the most impatient guy I’ve ever got to know.

**Unknown _:_** _YoU!_

**Unknown:** _YOU LEFT ME ON READ!!! Everyone would get mad!_

Keith **:** Yeah, yeah. Whatever.

Keith **:** I’ll think about reporting you for spamming next time…

 **Unknown:** _:O!!_

**Unknown _:_** _You wouldn’t!!!_

Keith **:** hmmmmm

 **Unknown:** _Gosh, you’re mean ): <_

Keith **:** You have too much free time, shouldn’t you be in class or something?

 **Unknown:** _Well, well, well couldn’t I ask you the exact same thing_

Keith **:** I’m skipping.

 **Unknown:** _Wow, you’re really sticking to the whole “bad boy” image, I seeeee_

**Unknown _:_** _I bet you even wear fingerless gloves, black hair, dark eyes_

Keith stops walking. He quickly eyes his gloved hands, his fingers the only thing not being covered in black leather. Then plays with a stray of hair, as black as his skinny jeans he normally wears whenever he’s not trapped in this orange uniform. Blinks a few times, thinking about his indigo eyes. He groans, blushes without even knowing why.

Keith **:** What if that’s not even remotely true? Maybe I love wearing rainbow colors, ribbons with glitter and stuff like that?

 **Unknown:** _Nahhh, I feel it, I’ve got the senses_

Keith **:** Yeah, according to you, you can sense anything.

 **Unknown:** _Exactly! And who could judge my senses better than me, myself and I!_

Keith arrives way faster in front of his dorm room than he thought he would.

Keith **:** So what, you never answered about your classes.

 **Unknown:** _Seems like I’m a bad boy as well, I guess. I’ve skipped the whole day._

He grabs the door handle, playing around with it a little bit, lost in thoughts. He’s completely focused on his phone.

Keith **:** Black fingerless gloves, dark eyes and all?

He then averts his eyes though, now looking around and finding the hallways still completely empty. His left hand stops searching for his keys and his right hand lets go of the handle. Without thinking any further, he turns on his heels, leaving the garrison building all together.

 **Unknown:** _Hmmmmm, is that your type?_

Keith almost trips but he manages to find his balance again.

Keith **:** I don’t think something like that exists…

Keith **:** A type, I mean. I don’t think…

Keith: Don’t think there is one. Don’t have one, I guess.

**Unknown:** _Whaaat no_

**Unknown _:_** _listen, moldy bad boy. EVERYONE has a certain type, you know_

Keith bites his bottom lip.

Keith **:** So what’s yours then?

 **Unknown:** _uh_

Keith stuffs his phone back into his pocket, now concentrating on his way to his shack way outside of the garrison. It’s about a twenty-minute walk. Usually he only sneaks out when it’s dark, being sure about not getting caught. He wouldn’t normally risk being noticed and therefore possibly losing his shack. It’s a place he treasures a lot, one day being found when Keith was wandering around, blowing off steam. It seemed abandoned back then and Keith immediately claimed it to be his. Ever since it has been stuffed with personal stuff, things that Keith had found and wanted to keep. Some days he just goes there to forget everything that is on his mind, sometimes he focuses on a weird energy that’s surrounding him. It’s calming and exciting at the same time, he wouldn’t know what to do without that place now.

The moment he’s sure he could find the way blind by now, he takes out his phone again. He almost drops it, being surprised by the notification popping up on his lock screen, saying “12 new messages”.

 **Unknown:** _you would want to know, huh_

 **Unknown:** _haha_

 **Unknown:** _uhhhh,, I guess I like, uhm_

 **Unknown:** _Hey, you still there???_

 **Unknown:** _ok… guess I’ll just tell the void then…_

 **Unknown:** _on second thought, maybe you’re right about the whole type thing idk idk_

 **Unknown** : _kidding_

**Unknown _:_** _I like fierce people I guess. Idk, uh. My ex-girlfriend she was really, you know, she really knew herself and I liked that. Maybe I envied her a little bit sometimes, I only kinda realize that know. She’s straightforward and stuuufff, but sometimes she’s too much but even then I somehow like that. She’s not perfect, she has her small flaws but overall she’s a strong person._

**Unknown _:_** _Guess that’s my type._

**Unknown:** _She’s cute too_

 **Unknown:** _Teased me a lot, but well I wasn’t innocent on my part as well. It was fun._

 **Unknown:** _Could you please answer me and stop my embarrassing rambling, I’m kinda dying_

Keith chuckles at his friend’s distress.

Keith **:** You miss her?

It’s a casual question to him, nothing he could really relate to considering he had never been in a romantic relationship before. He doesn’t know how it would feel to miss or be missed.

 **Unknown:** _No_

The answer comes fast and actually startles Keith a little bit.

 **Unknown:** _I think_

Keith **:** You think?

 **Unknown:** _Mhm._

Keith feels something weird, something he can’t really categorize, he only knows that he doesn’t like it. He catches himself wanting to change the subject. Even more so because his friend doesn’t seem comfortable with talking about it.

Keith **:** Why did you guys break up?

He asks instead, thinking about whether that’s going too far or not.

 **Unknown:** _Y’know_

**Unknown _:_** _For a guy who barely gives me (moldy) bread crumbs when it comes to personal issues you ask a lot of questions_

Keith **:** Well, you don’t _have_ to answer!

Keith **:** Besides, we barely know anything about each other. Equally little.

 **Unknown:** _uuuuh, I call fake_

 **Unknown:** _How about we list all the things we know about the other_

 **Unknown:** _You start_

Keith **:** Stupid

Keith **:** But ok, whatever.

Keith finally arrives at his shack, smiling a bit to himself before he enters the familiar room. Everything is exactly the same it was when he has left last time. It’s calming. Grounding in a weird way.  He lets himself plop down on the old couch that has been here ever since he had found the shack. It whirls up a whole bunch of dust but Keith couldn’t care less.

Keith **:** You’re annoying and loud. That’s it. See?

 **Unknown:** _AND YOU ARE RUDE, THAT’S IT!_

Keith **:** I’M NOT!

 **Unknown:** _You don’t even know wherever I’m loud or not ‘cause you never actually ever heard me SPEAK!_

Keith **:** Oh please. Tell me you’re not one of these guys who speak way too loud, too much, all the time.

 **Unknown** : …

 **Unknown:** _ok MAYBE you’re right about that one_

Keith **:** Shocking

 **Unknown:** _BUUHUT!_

 **Unknown:** _You know a lot more than that ‘cause I’m not some broody, mysterious bad boy kinda guy! I actually give away things about me unlike a certain someone!_

Keith **:** FINE, whatever.

 **Unknown:** _:)_

Keith **:** You’re a boy, you’re a little kid (17), still in school but you skip whole days of classes, you text random numbers, you give the worst nicknames, your grammar sucks, you visit the galtea coffee shop rather often, you’re bad at flirting, summer child, you like being called pretty, love beaches, scared of bugs like a coward, like space though, you play video games, you have a whole bunch of friends, that’s it.

 **Unknown:** _Ok ignoring some of the very wrong information that list includes_

 **Unknown:** _You know A LOT_

 **Unknown:** _And, hm, interesting how you all remembered that, even the little details ;)_

Keith splutters, ready to explain himself but stopping in time before he starts actually talking to himself.

Keith **:** I just scrolled through our chat, idiot.

One small, obvious lie.

 **Unknown:** _Suuuuure you did_

Busted.

Keith **:** Shut up, your turn.

 **Unknown:** _fine_

 **Unknown:** _18 (and thinks he’s an adult cause of it), likes space, believes in aliens, likes the outdoor, black hair, dark eyes, gloves, broody, grumpy, rude._

Keith **:** First, I never confirmed anything regarding my appearance

Keith **:** Secondly, Most of them are not even facts!

 **Unknown:** _Ok, ok. Guess there is more after all_

 **Unknown:** _You’re also gay and have never been in a relationship before_

 **Unknown:** _You a real bad boii_

 **Unknown:** _You ALSO skip classes, stop judging me_

Keith huffs.

 **Unknown:** _You don’t answer texts immediately smh_

**Unknown:** _You’re oblivious sometimes_

**Unknown:** _Maybe even cute from time to time._

 **Unknown:** _You are fun and I like texting you._

Keith feels his heart skip a beat and he sits up straight again, directly looking down on his phone’s display.

You are fun and I like texting you.

_You are fun and I like texting you._

He reads it over and over again, his heart speeding up more and more whenever he hears the words in his head.

**Unknown:** _Hey dude, you died?_

He snaps back to reality when a new message pops up right in front of his eyes.

Keith **:** Yes.

Keith **:** I MEAN NO

Keith **:** I’m alive.

 **Unknown:** _Glad to know._

**Unknown:** _Didn’t know one small compliment was enough to make you speechless, geez. That’s sweet man ;)_

Keith almost chokes _. Get yourself together, it’s a small little comment, it’s not that deep,_ he tells himself. Though, to Keith, it really, really is. Even though it’s not a big deal, to Keith it’s just something he has never experienced before. He knows they are barely friends, they are still more like strangers to each other. Still… it feels nice.

 **Unknown:** _Just kidding, just kidding_

**Unknown _:_** _I just figured I should tell you_

**Unknown:** _So yeah, I enjoy ittttttt_

Keith **:** Me too

He answers honestly.

 **Unknown:** _cool_

Keith **:** Cooool.

 **Unknown:** _You know what, though?_

Keith **:** Mh?

 **Unknown:** _my point still stands_

 **Unknown:** _you out there casually asking me why my relationship ended but not giving any information about yourself_

Keith **:** “information”

 **Unknown:** _Yeah!!!_

 **Unknown:** _sooooooooo_

Keith **:** Mh?

 **Unknown:** _To make this equal, starting today I will ask you one (1) question you HAVE to answer once a day!_

Keith chews on his bottom lip again, he can already feel it starting to bruise slightly.

Keith **:** I dunno

 **Unknown:** _You can ask back, too!_

 **Unknown:** _I would just like to get to know you more_

Keith **:** yeah…

 **Unknown:** _Buuuuuuuuuut?_

Keith **:** Don’t ask stupid stuff

Keith **:** I mean, I know that’s almost an impossible concept for you. Not asking stupid questions.

 **Unknown:** _HHHHEY!_

Keith snorts.

Keith **:** But honestly, if you come up with asks like “what’s your exact address, just want to know, haha!! ;)” I’ll personally come kick your ass

 **Unknown:** _STOP MIMICKING ME LIKE THAT_

Keith **:** M’not. It’s a perfect depiction of you.

 **Unknown:** _IT’S NOT!_

Keith **:** Keep telling that to yourself.

 **Unknown:** _Seriously…_

**Unknown:** _and of course I won’t ask stuff that personal, that’s like… full stalker mode._

Keith **:** Good, fine then.

 **Unknown:** _Nice!!!_

 **Unknown:** _I’ll start now_

Keith **:** Here it comes…

**Unknown:** _hmmmmm…_

**Unknown:** _I’ll start with something casual_

 **Unknown:** _How about telling me where you live? ;)_

Keith **:** I LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU TO NOT ASK THIS KIND OF STUFF

 **Unknown:** _Jeez, obviously I’m kidding_

 **Unknown:** _To be fair though, you only told me not to ask about your exact address, you know…_

Keith **:** Are we doing this or not?

 **Unknown:** _yeah, yeah. I won’t ask whether you’ve got a sense of humor or not as that’s a given already._

Keith **:** Your jokes just aren’t as funny as you’d want them to be.

 **Unknown:** _you’re really hurting my feelings with your moldy humor._

Keith **:** My finger’s already hovering above the blocking option

 **Unknown:** _YOU CAN’T THREATEN TO BLOCK ME EVERYTIME SOMETHING DOESN’T GO YOUR WAY_

Keith **:** Oh, I can’t? Well, then…

 **Unknown:** _Ugh, fine!_

**Unknown _:_** _I’ll ask a normal question now…_

Keith **:** Lord, give me strength

 **Unknown:** _[Quote: You:_ >> _I bet you even wear black fingerless gloves, black hair, dark eyes <<] Was I right???_

Keith **:** Would you let that go already

 **Unknown:** _Nope!_

Keith runs a hand through his hair as he thinks about whether he should answer with the truth or not.

Keith **:** Basically?

Keith **:** I mean, yeah. I’ve got black hair, not dyed, it’s just… naturally black. Same goes for the “Dark eyes” they’re just some weird shade of dark blue or whatever.

Keith **:** Also, nothing wrong with fingerless gloves. You’ve got better grip on things and they look nice.

Keith **:** I have a hoverbike so I also actually need them rather often.

 **Unknown:** _WAIT WAIT WIAT_

 **Unknown:** _Ok first: I KNEW I WAS RIGHT, VICTORY IS MINE._

 **Unknown:** _Secondly, a hoverbike??? THAT’S LIKE, SO COOL!_

 **Unknown:** _Damn boy, my mental image of you went from “80% broody bad boy” to a CERTAIN 100%!_

Keith **:** Wow, what an honor…

 **Unknown:** _Naww, don’t be sad I don’t mean it in a bad way!_

Keith **:** Whatever.

 **Unknown:** _heeey stop sulking… Don’t worry my mental image of you is a really attractive one!_

 _That’s even worse_ , Keith thinks. He wouldn’t describe himself as attractive or anything. He also wouldn’t call himself ugly, that’s not it. It’s not like he ever really cared about that certain thing, he’s keeping himself clean and that’s about it. There have been other things to worry about than his appearance. But right now, he actually does worry about it for a quick second.

He gets up from the old, dusty couch and takes a fast look into the mirror. He eyes his reflection from different angles, inspecting all of his facial structures. Though they are mostly hidden by his long bangs that fall right into his face. He blows them up, revealing his full face for a second before they fall down on it again. No one has ever told him he was good looking or anything, so he’d probably depict himself as average.

He then shakes his head, before taking a look out of the window instead. It’s not like the other will ever see him in person anyways. He shouldn’t worry about letting him down or anything. Outside his window, his eyes catch on his red and black hoverbike. The perfect thing to bring more attention to right now.

Keith **:** Yeah, I’ve got a hoverbike. I barely get to ride it though since I have to hide it from my school.

Keith thinks about sending him a picture for a short second, though he decides against it shortly after.

**Unknown _:_** _Oh my god, I’m actually really jealous right now…_

**Unknown _:_** _But I guess it makes sense, I can totally picture you riding a nice hoverbike_

Keith slowly starts to feel nervous because of all the attention he gets in this conversation.

Keith: So what about you?

**Unknown:** _Nah, I don’t own cool stuff like that…_

Keith: no no

Keith **:** Your looks…

Keith: I mean you said I could ask back…

 **Unknown:** _Ohh, that’s what you meant._

 **Unknown:** _No._

Keith: No? But you said it was fine!

 **Unknown:** _Noo, no is my answer to the question._

 **Unknown:** _See, I’m not: black haired, dark eyed and neither do I wear (useless, let’s be real) fingerless gloves._

Keith: That’s what you call asking back?!

 **Unknown:** _uhhh, yeah???_

 **Unknown:** _I never said you could ask your own question just that you could ask back :)_

Keith: I’m fucking breaking up with you.

**Unknown:** _ADJQOWKDPOQWK_

**Unknown:** _OK, I ACTUALLY LAUGHED_

Keith grins stupidly, now leaning against the window, the sun warming up his entire back.

Keith: I now see why your ex broke up with you.

 **Unknown:** _Ugh dude…_

 **Unknown:** _Still fresh, please…_

Keith presses his lips together, his nonexistent social capabilities would ruin this sooner or later.

Keith: Right, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it.

 **Unknown:** _It’s fine._

**Unknown:** _I will actually be nice for once and answer your question_

**Unknown:** _But first! I want you to guess!_

Keith: Guess your looks?

 **Unknown:** _Yep!_

Keith: Uh…

Keith: I’m bad at this

**Unknown:** _It’s fine, I’m just curious as to how you imagine me in front of your inner eye_

Keith tries to think about it. He actually even closes his eyes for the moment, imagines his friend in front of his inner eye. He types with closed eyes.

Keith: short hair, dark hair

Keith: outstanding, shiny eyes

Keith **:** youre probably the type fpr plain jeans and something dramatic on top

Keith **:** Aslo, sunglasses

Keith **:** an idiotic grin

He opens his eyes again, cringing at some of his typos.

Keith **:** That’s it.

 **Unknown:** _“Shiny eyes”?_

Keith’s face heats up as he reads his words again, now that he thinks about it, it does sound weird.

Keith **:** I dunno, that’s what I imagined!

 **Unknown:** _Hmmm, interesting…_

Keith **:** Just tell me how wrong I was and that you actually have dull eyes, fuzzy hair and wear ugly clothes

 **Unknown:** _Nope!_

**Unknown:** _You were actually close!_

**Unknown _:_** _I’ve got shiny eyes! They’re a nice shade of ocean blue and I really like them._

**Unknown:** _My hair’s brown and short, but not fuzzy at all, thank you very much!_

 **Unknown:** _I’m Cuban btw!_

**Unknown:** _Also, I’ve got some light freckles. They are way more prominent in summer though._

**Unknown:** _No sunglasses because I love the sun way too much to put a barrier between us._

This time, Keith doesn’t even dare to imagine it with closed eyes. He still sees it though, right inside of his mind. The imagination makes his blood run faster and he runs a hand through his hair again, making a complete mess out of his bangs.

 _He has freaking freckles_ , he realizes slightly panicking, _how adorable is that?!_

**Unknown _:_** _Sooo, what do you think??? Am I one (1) handsome boi inside your head right now? ;)_

Keith **:** You’re ok, I guess.

 _Shit_ , Keith suddenly thinks.

**Unknown _:_** _Naww I know you’re bad at expressing your true emotions, you shy mess <3_

_I think I’ve got a type after all,_ he realizes, burying his head inside of his hands, his phone now abandoned, laying on the floor next to him.

 

\------------------------------

 

 _Nope, I totally don’t,_ Keith tells himself after watching his obnoxious, loud classmate across the room. Yeah, maybe he does have short brown hair, blue eyes and whatever but he would be the last guy Keith would call “his type”. In fact, that guy always gets into unnecessary fights with him and riles him up any moment he gets to. He’s loudly talking to Rolo right now, Keith’s roommate he never really talked to himself. It annoys him more than it probably should.

As proven by his failed mission in the simulator just one day ago, he wasn’t really a person who likes to work in teams. He trusts in his own capabilities the most, there is no need to bother working in teams when you’re totally capable of taking care of things yourself. Sadly his teachers think otherwise and that’s why his normally quiet room is filled with three more persons, one of them using his lungs to laugh obnoxiously every now and then. Keith just sighs, not paying any further attention. He’s sitting on his own bed, while the others sit over at Rolo’s. Which doesn’t even make sense, since he’s not part of this group project.

Keith **:** I certainly need earplugs right now. Or a distraction.

He takes a look at his own text message he had sent about 20 minutes ago. Not even his only friend could put him out of this misery right now, he figures.

Another loud laughing round makes him wince as he looks over at the others having fun about whatever. Keith crosses his arms after throwing his phone on his bed, ready to catch it as it almost bounced off of it. He leans back on the wall and tries to calm down before he loses his cool.

“Ok guys” a voice brings an abrupt end to the laughter and Keith has never been more thankful. The voice belongs to a rather small girl, Keith actually thinks he has seen her somewhere before, outside of school. She certainly looks a lot like a friend of Shiro, Matt. He knows Matt has a younger sister but he isn’t sure if that’s her, though it would make sense.

The other two, he doesn’t know well. The big guy seems pretty nice though, someone you couldn’t imagine starting a fight with. But Keith also feels like he shouldn’t be underestimated. The third, the loud one, Keith knows just a little bit. Not in a positive way, though.

All in all, they are all pretty much strangers to him despite them sharing a lot of classes. He actually asked himself why he would get paired up with people he barely interacts with but then again, he barely interacts with anyone at school. He’s glad that Shiro’s in their group, though he probably won’t have the time to show up very often.

“We should really consider starting to work on our project now”, the voice continues as her eyes flicker to Keith for a moment and he actually feels offended. _You’re the ones having fun!_

“Yeeeeah, you’re probably right”, the tall, lanky one answers while groaning. Keith already feels his non-existent motivation eating him alive.

“Well, have fun guys. Guess I will leave you alone then, I wouldn’t want to disturb you”, Rolo says while getting up off his bed and leaving the room as everyone waves him goodbye. _They aren’t even here for him!_ Why is Keith even annoyed because of something this stupid?

They all suddenly get up, now sitting down on the floor in the middle of the room. The tallest of them takes out some school supplies, sprawling them out on in front of them. Keith sighs, next time he won’t agree on doing this is in his room.

“Hey, you gonna just sit there watching us do all the work or what?” The lanky boy asks, throwing Keith a pen that he barely catches.

“Ok, I think at first we should make sure to split the work”, the girl starts and looks over some notes. Keith decides he should probably join them, so he takes a seat on the cold floor.

“Look” she says and then places a big paper in the middle of their circle. It’s a picture of a big robot, being formed by five individual robots. “Each one of us will work on one of the robots, they all have their individual traits. The black one is all about leadership and making decisions” she glares at the lanky boy’s sparkling expression, “no, you won’t get this one. It’s Shiro’s”, she makes clear pretty fast and his face drops. “The green lion is the intelligent one, it’s daring and smart. I will take this one.”

“Sounds like you Pidge”, the boy next to her teases, nudging her with his elbow.

“Exactly, Hunk”, she agrees while smiling, “and the yellow one sounds like you. It puts the team above his own and is also caring and kind. Just like the blue one, it forms a leg, lifting the rest of the team up.” Hunk blushes a little bit and clearly appreciates Pidge’s choice.

“The red lion is the most temperamental one, it’s fast and really agile. As the right hand of Voltron, it’s the second one in charge. That’s all I got from my researches about the legend. I think since Shiro and Keith know each other very well, it makes most sense for him to work on the red lion.”

“What?!” A squeaky voice next to Keith asks. “Why him?! I want to work alongside Shiro just as much as he wants!”

“Shiro won’t even have time to really work alongside anyone”, Hunk argues.

“Still!” The other says stubbornly and Keith rolls his eyes so far back his head, he thinks he might actually pass out this time.

“Stop making such a big deal out of this”, he sighs, turning to him.

“Well, why don’t you take the blue one then and everything’s settled!”

“Fine, give-“, Keith stops, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration, “what even is your name?”

The other gapes at him, jaw almost hitting the floor, eyes blown wide as though Keith had just told him he was actually an alien about to abduct him. For a moment though, he sees something weird flicker through his eyes, something close to hurt. Keith probably just imagined it.

“The name’s Lance! L-A-N-C-E, you won’t ever forget it as soon as I will push you off the first place on our top list!”

Keith already feels himself getting more and more annoyed by every passing second. He couldn’t even care less about some stupid board hanging on the wall, making students fight about their damn spots. It’s childish and time consuming.

“Whatever, _Lance_ ”, Keith simply answers.

“Can you two please just decide on your lions and help us getting the project done”, Pidge says without even looking up from her notes. She and Hunk have already started working on their part of the project so Keith takes another look at Lance and crosses his arms.

“Look”, he starts with a slight sigh escaping his lips, “I will just do the red lion.” He looks down on the paper Pidge prepared for all of them, “the red lion is obviously the black lion’s right hand man. It makes most sense for me to fill that role.”

Lance very obviously doesn’t agree with him, not even in the slightest. He immediately straightens his back, puffing out his chest like he has something to prove. Which, maybe he does, Keith doesn’t know. Or care, for that matter. The other boy pushes his own thumb into his chest, which is covered in a blue shirt. “I would make a great right hand man! Shiro would be impressed, I can tell you!”

Keith restrains from banging his head against the wall. “Oh yeah? I honestly, really doubt that” Unconsciously, he moves towards Lance in a very challenging way. The other doesn’t back down, instead he pushes further, their foreheads almost touching.

“Oh yeah?” Lance repeats, daring him to repeat his words.

Keith does.

“Yeah, I do.”

They hold eye contact and Keith notices Lance’s angry expression wavering for a bit. But before he could possibly make out what it was, Lance backs away again, arms crossed, nose high.

“Well, I don’t think the red lion approves of your mullet.”

“My-what?! What does my hair even have to do with it?!”

“Everything!” Lance argues stubbornly.

“Guys,” Hunk’s voice interrupts them, though both boys don’t seem to care.

“No it doesn’t!” Keith argues back, ignoring Hunk’s warning.

“Does too!”

“Does not!”

“Guys”, Hunk repeats, his voice dripping with some weird kind of worry.

“Totally, really, very much does!”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

“ _Guys_.” This time, it’s Pdige’s voice, way less worried and way more annoyed and spoken in a warning tone. Keith and Lance shut up, glaring at each other with crossed arms.

“Keith started this!” Lance points out.

“Can you just stop pulling my pigtails!?” Keith growls, intensifying his glare.

Suddenly, the room falls silent. Lance’s arms uncross slowly, falling on his thighs. His mouth is open, his eyes wide. Again, a look that suggests Keith said something incredibly weird.

The uncomfortable silence finally gets cut when Pidge snorts all of a sudden. Just a second later she and Hunk both break out into loud laughs.

“I- I don’t-“, Lance starts, now with a way more angry look again, at the same time accompanied by a weird pink flush on his cheeks. Keith notices him clenching his fists, his whole body tensing. What’s wrong with this guy?

“Come to think of it”, Pidge wheezes between laughs, rolling on the floor, “One could actually think that’s what’s going on!”

“That- that’s totally NOT what’s going on!” Lance yells, kicking after Pidge with one foot.

Keith is just utterly confused about what’s going on and buries himself in the collar of his jacket. Wasn’t he right? Lance _was_ pulling his pigtails by always saying mean things to him.

“Good one, Keith, seriously!” Hunk yells in an amused voice, giving him a rough pat on the shoulder.

“You guys are such traitors”, Lance pouts sliding down even further, his back barely touching Rolo’s bed anymore. He puts up his hoodie, hiding his face just like Keith does with his collar.

“It’s my job, Lance”, Pidge answers. She’s finally calming down, wiping away tears from the corner of her eyes. Slowly, she sits up again, clearing her throat. “That was fun, really”, she grins at Keith and he blinks back several times, “but you two are giving me a headache so I’m gonna go back into my own room to work on this. You guys make up your mind, seriously. I’ll leave you the instruction paper, read what you got to do!”

“Yeah, me too. I need a calm atmosphere to do that” Hunk agrees, getting up to join Pidge on her way out.

“Don’t kill each other”, Pidge says before the door shuts behind them.

Keith and Lance sigh in unison.

It’s silent and neither of them say or do anything. They are turned away from each other, the atmosphere between them tense. Keith’s small clock on his nightstand is ticking loudly in his ears.

To at least occupy himself with _something_ , he grabs all of the papers Pidge has left them and starts reading them. The first page is just some picture that features Voltron as a whole. The second one is about their group project and explains in detail what they have to do. It seems they have to build each one of the robots, it even goes as far as making the robots able of locking into each other so they can form Voltron. At the end, there are some measurements for each individual lion and some small, not really helpful pictures.

 _That seems challenging_ , Keith thinks.

Lance still hasn’t said anything and when Keith glances over at him, he has his head squished down on Rolo’s bedsheets, looking bored.

“We should probably get this over with”, Keith suggests, holding back an annoyed sigh.

Lance on the other hand sighs dramatically, finally getting up again. He stretches his arms so much his back pops and Keith somehow can’t tear his eyes away from the small part of skin that gets revealed in the process.

“Fine”, he agrees, scooting closer to Keith and taking a look at the papers.

Keith turns to him, making direct eye contact. He raises one eyebrow when Lance looks back, face innocent.

“Sooo? We’re going with the original plan, then? I’ll take the red lion?” He asks.

Lance narrows his eyes threatening, like he’s about to jump Keith and fight for victory. Luckily, he doesn’t.

Keith breaks eye contact and releases a deep breath as he absentmindedly goes through the other papers that are left. He scans them fast, not really paying attention but stops when he’s met with a light blue color, shining right off the paper.

His eyes linger way longer on that one, observing the blue lion’s traits.

Keith shifts, sitting with his back straight against the wall.

“You know what”, he says, still fully concentrated on the drawing of the blue lion. He only glances very quickly at the other, noticing him blinking in interest. “Just… ‘As a leg of Voltron, it holds everyone together, making them feel steady and safe. Supporting others with a heart of gold and infinite understanding, it keeps everyone at ease, motivates teammates and always manages to keep the mission going.’” Keith turns his head and Lance looks at him with an uncertain expression, his mouth shut. Keith turns away again. “’It’s element is described to be water, being able to always fit in, adjusting to new challenges as it’s form is adaptable. At times being underestimated, it still proves itself to be worthy and encourages every teammate doubting themselves to do the same’”, he continues reading.

When Lance doesn’t answer, he just wordlessly hands him the now slightly crumbled paper.

“That doesn’t sound too bad does it?” Keith asks, realizing he’s getting a little nervous at Lance’s silence. The boy just looks at him like he can’t believe what Keith just told him. What did he think the blue lion traits are anyway?

“But”, Lance says, eyes unfocused and Keith already prepares himself for another heated argument. What he doesn’t expect though, is what Lance says next. “Hunk and Pidge chose the one’s which traits suit them.”

Keith blinks. Once. Twice.

Before he can react in any way though, Lance’s eyes go wide, like he shockingly just realized what he actually said. The boy in blue grips the paper tight, averting his eyes.

“I- I mean. Yeah. Yes, cool. I guess you’re right”, he takes a deep breath, like he’s collecting himself. “Yeah”, he sounds way more confident this time, “the blue lion is rad, man. Guess I’ll sacrifice myself and work on the coolest of the lions.” He sighs dramatically, way overdoing it. He takes a look down before meeting Keith’s eyes with a big grin. “It even mentions ice powers. Cool, literally.”

Keith snorts, shaking his head in disbelieve. Such a weird guy.

“Good. Now that it’s settled, we can actually start doing something more productive”, Keith states.

“I guess”, Lance answers, smiling at him.

 _Huh, that’s new_ …

Lance’s smile feels kind, earnest. Keith even notices a dimple on his left side, making his body feel like it’s surrounded by some kind of warmth.

It fades when Lance gets up, yawning obnoxiously.

“Yeah. That’s something for another day, mullet”, he says and Keith mirrors him, his butt being circulated again when he finally gets off the floor.

“Stop calling me that”, Keith growls in response, sitting down on his own bed. Feeling something soft, comfortable underneath him has never felt that good.

Lance just waves at him, dismissing his request. He opens the door and looks back just to say one more thing. Finger pointed at Keith, one leg already out the room, he says: “Remember me!”

And then the door closes and Keith falls back on his bed, almost hitting his head on the wooden part of it.

He releases a breath, one that sounds like he held it back for a long time.

_Lance._

He doesn’t know whether he should grin or roll his eyes. It ends up being a mix of both.

 

\------------------------------

 

When Keith lays on his bed the evening of this day and Rolo is already asleep, snoring just the tiniest bit, he squints at the display in his hands. He actually did do some light research for the whole group project thing but after some time he had involuntarily fallen asleep and was now wide awake.

There are three unread messages waiting for him but before he gets into them, he opens his internet browser and googles the definition of ‘pulling someone’s pigtails.’

He quickly finds one, reading it in his head.

 _[The act](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pulling%20pigtails) of harassing, insulting, or physically hurting someone because you are secretly attracted to them, in the manner_ _of a grade school boy pulling the pigtails_ _of a girl_ _he has a crush on._

Keith groans, pressing one hand to his face. What had he implied earlier?! No wonder Lance had acted so weird! He reads it again, peaking through his hand and groans another time, louder. Pidge and Hunks laughter echoes in his head.

“Honestly”, he hisses in a whisper. Keith may be bad at feelings, especially when it comes to romance, but he still knows people well enough to say that this is not a good way to even express your feelings towards someone you like. Who even does that?!

He would just have to hope that Lance forgets he ever said that, so he doesn’t have to explain himself as that would be even more embarrassing.

Shaking his head and banning any thoughts regarding that matter, he opens the text messages he hasn’t read yet.

Two are from his new friend, which isn’t very surprising. Which surprises him more, is the one coming from another unknown number.

He opens it.

**+1-5X2X-XXX-X31X:** _Hey, it’s Pidge. **  
** I got your number from Matt, who got it from Shiro. (Matt is my brother, I don’t know for sure but you may know him.) Just wanted to tell you that we’ll meet up at my room tomorrow for further planning. Right after classes, the number is 304. See ya. _

So he was right about Pidge being Matt’s sister after all. He saves her name in his contacts and answers with a quick “got it.”

He opens the other two messages right after.

 **Unknown:** _Sorry I wasn’t there to put you out of your misery, I had stuff to do._

The text has been sent several hours ago. The next is just about 45 minutes old.

**Unknown:** _Do you listen to Beyoncé?_

Keith: No

He’s startled as the status of his text immediately changes into read.

Keith: …Have you been stalking our chat?

 **Unknown:** _SHUT UP I JUST HAPPENED TO BE ON IT TO CHECK IF YOU’VE READ IT ALREADY_

 **Unknown:** _Knowing you, there is a high possibility you have without answering_

Keith chuckles into his bedsheets, turning on his stomach.

 **Unknown:** _More importantly: how_

Keith: How what

 **Unknown:** _How do you not listen to THIS QUEEN?_

Keith shrugs like on instinct, which is kind of uncomfortable in his current position.

Keith: I don’t know, just never have

 **Unknown:** _Ok ok I’ll write it on the list of “things I have to introduce moldy into as soon as we’re best friends”_

Keith smiles. It may have been a meaningless joke, but he would be lying if he said it didn’t make his chest feel light for a moment.

Keith: What else is on that list exactly?

 **Unknown:** _hmmm, curious much?_

Keith: As if you wouldn’t!

 **Unknown:** _Touché_

 **Unknown:** _But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and see_

 **Unknown** : _Oh, btw you haven’t asked me back yet!_

Keith sighs, rolling his eyes so much it almost hurts.

Keith: Do you listen to Beyoncé?

 **Unknown** _:_ _Y.E.P!_

Keith: I fucking hate this arrangement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The definition of the 'pulling someone's pigtails' thing is literally from the urban dictionary, I inserted a link.

**Author's Note:**

> ~acepylot [ Tumblr ](https://lanceinblack.tumblr.com/) & [ Writing Tumblr ](https://acepylot.tumblr.com/)


End file.
